Mind over matter
by Egyptian Dreamer
Summary: For over 3000 years, some humans are born with the gift to summon a familiar, a being that assists them in battle. Their job is to deal with the humans that've been tainted by those powers. But nobody's managed to summon the highest rank familiars...yet.
1. Chapter 1

**Yep, new story is up!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**CHAPTER ONE**

_For over 3000 years, magic beings have been existing in the world as we know it. N__or creatures, nor humans._

_Magic users that obtain human appearance, but not sorcerers either._

_They go by many names. Familiars, acolytes, servants… and so on._

_They exist to assist a specific human in battle. The chosen humans can summon only one familiar, the one that suits them best based on their respective personas. Those humans are very few and they are born with that gift._

_But those humans, special as they may be, are still humans and the human soul can be tempted in more than one ways. Some of them become power hungry and try to steal other humans' familiars in order to strengthen themselves._

_That's why the rest of them have to eliminate the tainted ones and prevent them from going after the man kind._

_However, the familiars are sorted in classes, levels if you prefer. The highest of classes is comprised by four familiars. Four familiars alone._

_The Thief, the Tomb Keeper, the High Priest, and the Pharaoh, the most powerful of all._

_Never before a human has existed, strong enough to summon any of those familiars. At least, not until now… _

**~*****Ω*****~**

A teenage boy with peculiar looking tri-colored, star shaped hair was humming to himself while storing some newly arrived packages in their proper shelves. Heaving a sigh, he tugged a few of his golden bangs behind his ear, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Two more left.

A groan passed through his lips when he realized where those two packages were to be placed. The familiar jingling sound made his head whip around to the direction of the door, sparkling amethyst eyes blinking curiously.

"Hey, Yug." a boy with dirty-blond hair said with a grin, soon accompanied by two more teens. "Morning, Yugi." a brunette girl and a boy with pointed brown hair greeted in unison as soon as they passed through the door.

A bright smile graced the tri-colored haired teen's face at the sight of his friends.

"Good morning, guys."

The three newcomers walked over to the counter where the boy was currently standing.

"Ready to go? The school's starting in a few moments." the girl inquired, making Yugi's eyebrows to furrow lightly.

"Well, almost. I still have to put these two away." he said, pointing at the packages resting on the counter's surface. The blond boy's honey colored eyes instantly brightened once realization dawned upon him.

"Are these new Duel Monsters packs?" he asked cheerfully and reached out to take a hold of them but Yugi had already beat him to it.

"Now's not the right time, Joey. Can't you wait a few more hours till noon when I'll open up the shop?" The blond, now known as Joey let out a sigh of exasperation. The brown haired boy chuckled at Joey's expression, before diverting his attention back to Yugi. "Where are they going?" he asked.

Yugi lifted his hand up, pointing with his thumb the shelves at the very top.

A smirk graced Joey's features and Tristan had to cover his mouth with his hand in order to prevent himself from laughing out loud. "Need some help with that?" the blond asked mischievously, earning a glare from the girl and a pout from Yugi.

"I'd really appreciate it if you spared me the irony." Both boys waved their hands defensively before Joey reached out to ruffle Yugi's hair playfully. "Oh, come on, Yug. You know we're kidding."

"Yeah, we're perfectly fine with your height, even if you look like a high school student instead of a senior high student." the brown haired boy added.

"Tristan!" Yugi whined and earned a wink from the said boy. The brunette shook her head helplessly. "Guys, time's running." she pointed out.

"Tea's right." Yugi said before taking a hold of his school bag from behind the counter. Once they were out, Yugi locked the front door of the Game Shop and then they took off. But living just a block away from school had its privileges since they were able to get there the moment the bell went off.

Yugi had biology in first period, which meant that he'd have to wait till second period to see his friends again. "I'll catch you later, guys." he told them and after they waved him off, he went over to his classroom.

He took his usual seat at the back of the classroom the exact moment that the professor walked in. His silver hair was wrapped into a ponytail today, hanging loosely to the side.

Most of the student population preferred to avoid biology if possible simply because they wanted to avoid the man that was tutoring it. Mr. Maximillion Pegasus. Everyone thought that the man was insane… well, which was partially true, but Yugi was finding him kind of fascinating. He liked the way his teacher saw things, his kind nature and even his boldness.

But apparently, judging by the few number of students in the class, not everyone shared the same opinion with him.

"Good morning, class. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend because another five days in hell are officially starting."

Yugi also loved the man's humor.

"Before we do anything else though, I'd like you to meet two new students." he continued, earning puzzled looks from the entire classroom. New students? In Biology?

As if on cue, two boys walked through the door. One with snow-white hair that reached all the way down his waist and white bangs framing his face, and skin just as pale. The other one had shoulder length sand colored hair and skin with a beautiful tan. The white haired boy had chocolate-brown eyes, filled with gentleness and the other boy violet eyes that were radiating determination.

"Hello, I'm Ryou Bakura and I'm from Britain." the one with the pale skin, that Yugi suspected to be an albino, introduced himself and then motion for the other boy to do the same.

"The name's Malik Ishtar and I'm from Egypt."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet such splendid boys like yourselves. I'm sure you'll feel welcome here." the professor said while giving meaningful glances to the students before adding, "You can sit anywhere you want, there's plenty room here."

The two boys nodded and went over to the empty desks in front of Yugi, the white haired one smiling kindly at him before sitting down.

Yugi couldn't tell if it was their looks or the fact that they were both giving off an aura of confidence, but he was pretty sure that something wasn't quiet right with his new classmates. But perhaps, he was just being paranoid.

**END OF CHAPTER ONE**

**Please review and tell me what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

After what seemed like forever, the bell rang for the final time that day. Exhausted out of his mind, Yugi dumped his books into his locker before pulling out his backpack by the strap. Proceeding to smash the locker door shut, the boy sprint down the hallway, all too eager to leave the building and welcome with open arms the next two, school free, blissful days.

Aware that his friends were waiting for him by the gates, a new spring added to his pace at the prospect of spending the rest of the evening with them. Oh yeah, everything was perfect.

Well, at least until he rounded the next corridor.

A startled grunt made its way out of his lips, instantly chorused by the person whose head had collided with his. Unbalanced, Yugi's backside met harshly with the floor, effectively resulting with a second grunt sneaking up on him.

Moaning softly under his breath, the teen felt conflicted as to which part of his body to soothe first; his aching cheekbone, which was surely to form a bruise, or his stinging butt, which was sore from acting as a cushion for his fall. Deeming more insufferable the burning in his face, he hurriedly lifted a hand to massage the enflamed area, wincing lightly upon contact.

Movement from the corner of his eye caused his arm to pause in mid-movement. A glimpse at the figure rubbing their, without doubt, sore bottom had him springing to his feet in no time.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?" he gushed out, bending down and peering worriedly at the other.

Almond shaped, golden-brown eyes stared back at him, dazed if only for a moment before the boy blinked once, reassuming focus. And Yugi did too, recognition finally registering in his mind.

The boy smiled up at him, taking the offered hand in front of his face. Long, seemingly silky, white strands enveloped his face when he bent forward, and Yugi found himself strangely transfixed at the sight, finding it almost unearthly, before the boy straightened himself up and the trance was broken.

"No harm done." the other teen said softly, "If this was so easy to break, I'd be a goner by now." He chuckled lightly at his own joke, tapping his temple with his knuckles, presumably indicating his head, and then he promptly hissed as the pain rebounded with vigor.

Yugi winced in sympathy, closing one eye and peering at him through the other, allowing his lips to stretch out nervously at the sheepish grin the boy was offering him.

"You're Bakura, right? Bakura Ryou? We had Biology together this morning." he added helpfully at the perplexed expression the teen was sporting, and stretched out his arm again.

Ryou frowned, his eyes trailing from Yugi's own eyes all the way up to his hair, before his face lit up in realization. "Of course!"

Yugi smiled as the other shook his hand. "I'm Mutou Yugi. You don't have to bother with the formalities, just Yugi will do."

Ryou laughed, the now empty hallways of the school resonating with the sound, making Yugi feel oddly comforted by it, more at ease. "Then by all means, you can call me Ryou."

Tension relieving itself from his shoulders, Yugi let his now free arm dangle by his side. "I really am sorry about before. I should have paid more attention."

"Nah, it's fine." Ryou waved the whole thing off. "There's no need to-"

"Ryou," Both boys whirled around sharply, immediately catching sight of the source of the voice. Yugi watched as the other new student sauntered over to them, hands in his pockets and a stride so confident that the tri-colored haired teen couldn't stifle a spark of admiration from flaring to life.

The boy's violet eyes were hard when they locked with his own, raising within him a compelling urge to take a step back, cringing without his consent under that intense scrutiny.

The boy, Malik if he remembered correctly, turned his narrowed gaze towards Ryou, "You were to meet me right after school let out. We have things to do."

"I haven't forgotten, Malik." Ryou replied, his tone condescending. "I was just talking with Yugi here, and then I would come meet you."

"No, it's okay." Yugi said sheepishly, "I have to meet up with my friends too."

Malik's eyes not once strayed towards him, making Yugi shift from one foot to another. "It was, um, nice talking to you. I guess I will see you around."

The platinum haired boy was already making his way past before Yugi was done talking, the latter's eyes trailing after him with confusion. A sigh like sound caused his head to wipe to the side, where Ryou offered him a small smile, "Bye, Yugi." And with that, the teen went away, leaving Yugi to stare at their retreating backs with furrowed eyebrows.

Sighing, Yugi shrugged to himself, deciding to put the issue out of his mind and focus instead on the promising evening that was ahead. A wistful grin spread across his face, his feet reclaiming their previous hurried pace. He left for the school gates with a new vigor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryou watched the other boy's departure, turning ahead only when Yugi was out of sight.

"You know that associating with humans is a waste of time."

He couldn't possibly contain his eyes from rolling at the all too familiar comment, "You _are _human, Malik."

A half growl-half snort left his companion's lips. "Please. Comparing me to them is like suggesting an affiliation with slugs. Besides, we have far more important jobs than socializing, you know that."

Ryou's expression turned serious, "Where are we supposed to start? He will arrive soon and all we know is that it's going to be somewhere in this area."

"For now it's enough." Malik replied, eyes trailing the hallways for any traces of students, keeping his tone hushed even when he found none. "Marik says there's an upheaval amongst the ranks. Has Bakura sensed it too?"

"Yes," Ryou's tone was monotone, the seriousness of the situation apparent. "Marik may be the only one capable of tracking him down, but even the lower levels can sense that things are about to change."

"We must be prepared. Their restlessness will urge them to take action. It will make them more violent."

Ryou could only nod his consent.

Things were indeed going to get nasty.

***)&(***

Yugi cursed softly under his breath as he watched another street lamp flickering momentarily before going out completely. It was the second one doing that to him. Going to the Mall had seemed a pretty good idea to him, and visiting the Arcade had him on cloud nine.

But unfortunately, neither he nor Joey and Tristan had foreseen the possibility of Tea going crazy on them and dragging the poor boys from one shop to another. He had lost count of how many clothes she had tried on.

Those were probably the consequences of having a girl in the group. As it was, instead of spending the rest of his evening trying out every single game machine in the Arcade, Yugi had been granted the luxury of one whole hour before Tea dragged them all out. Literally.

Nighttime had always been kind of unsettling to him, wariness creeping into every corner of his mind the moment the first star would make its brilliant appearance.

His steps came to an abrupt halt, watching through wide eyes as every lamp ahead of him flickered once, twice and then went out with perfect synchronicity, like a rehearsed show. Heartbeat speeding up in alarming rate, he whipped around, changing his course and taking the alleyway to his right. The route was considerably bigger, since it'd take him all the way back to school and then make his way home from there, but he thought it'd be better to play safe.

He chanced a look upwards, frowning at the sight of the black sky that greeted him rather than the dark shade of blue it had been the last time he had checked.

From the looks of things, he'd be home a little before eleven.

A drawn out sigh left his lips, legs picking up their pace when the building of his school loomed over the horizon. Not really bothering to glimpse through the gates at the school grounds, Yugi only had eyes for the road up ahead, a relieved smile breaking onto his face.

He nearly lost his footing when a sudden explosion sliced through the silence of the night, causing him to turn doe like eyes towards the source. He watched horror-struck as the huge, round clock that stood high above the entrance of the school building was blasted off, landing a good few feet away towards the gates with a booming thud.

As in a trance, Yugi's eyes followed its movements dazedly, shifting slowly from the smashed clock to the debris and glass pieces that had accompanied its fall.

His head snapped up so quickly that the cracking sound it produced would have been disgusting to the least, had he not been transfixed by the flaming tongues that sprouted out of the hole the clock had left.

They unfolded high in the air, appearing strangely whip like. For a moment they just stood there, drifting from side to side like a peculiar asset of tails. Then, too swiftly for him to catch the movement, they dived downwards back into the hole. Mere seconds later, a blood curdling scream tore through the air, finally snapping Yugi back to reality.

His legs were already guiding him towards the building before he could even consent. Another explosion had him running at full speed.

The lights were out when he stepped through the entrance, the shadows bathing every corner in darkness. Breathing ragged, Yugi went up the spiral staircase where light could be seen coming from the vey top. He didn't stop to catch his breath, heart feeling like it was going to pummel right out of his chest every time another shuttering sound reached his ears.

As he neared the top, shouts and choked screams and even more eruptions wafted over to him, making his pulse race faster.

The stairs finally came to an end, and Yugi felt the blood drain from his face.

Deep crimson liquid marred every available surface in the near vicinity, the walls, the floors, the doors, the ceiling. The horrific, gruesome sight made Yugi sick to the stomach, causing it to churn and twist in the most unpleasant ways. The bile that rose to his throat sickened him further, and he felt nauseous just by the effort he put into suppressing it.

Shouts and screams were coming from somewhere to his left, deeper into the hallway, but Yugi barely heard any of it. The air reeked with the coopery smell of blood and something else that eerily resembled burnt flesh.

The mere prospect of that thought was enough to bring Yugi over the edge that he had been teetering all this time. Bending in half, he emptied all contents of his stomach, turning to dry heaving when there was nothing else to empty.

The sour taste that was left in his mouth made him want to throw up again, only barely achieving to stifle the urge.

A bit late, he realized that someone was crouched beside him, shaking his shoulder almost violently. Looking up through the bangs that had fallen over his eyes, he saw Ryou hovering over him. The boy's mouth was moving rapidly, his eyes darting from side to side frantically, but strangely enough no sound breached Yugi's eardrums. His own eyes were trained on a particular spot on Ryou's cheek where blood was smeared on the surface of the skin.

Scarlet trails were reaching all the way down to his chin, the mess the blood drops had left while sliding downwards.

Yugi scouted backwards at the same time that a scream left his lips. His back came in contact with the wall, but Ryou kept advancing closer to him. He screamed again when the other boy reached out to touch his forearm, drawing his knees up to his chest.

Ryou's mouth was still moving, speaking apparently, but for some reason the words failed yet again to reach Yugi. In fact, beside the explosions and the sounds of the battle, his hearing couldn't pick out anything else.

His breathing was far too erratic for his liking. The gulps of air he was taking were dirtied by the ash, making him feel suffocated, trapped. His eyes had watered from the smoke of the flames, which had gotten considerably bigger from the last time he had seen them. The entire floor had been set on fire.

Ryou was motioning something with his hand, and before long, another figure was kneeling in front of Yugi, and he resembled Ryou greatly. The two of them seemed to argue about something, Ryou gesturing wildly around while glaring at the other. Yugi watched through guarded eyes as the newcomer opened his mouth to yell something, his hard, brown eyes alight with another kind of flames.

Yugi drew even further backwards when Ryou pointed angrily towards him, anticipating a blow or something of the like. Instead, Ryou's look-alike seemed to shout something back before reaching out and latching onto both of Yugi's wrist.

Panicked, Yugi thrashed around, pulling at the other's hold and kicking his legs wildly. The boy, however, bared his teeth furiously at him, an action that had Yugi frozen in place and gave the other the perfect opportunity to yank the smaller teen forward and into his arms. Before Yugi had any time to voice his protest, the boy took off, so fast that it felt like he was flying down the hallway.

Yugi choked back a sob that threatened to rise from his throat and buried his face into the crook of the other teen's neck, closing his eyes shut when everything around them passed them in a red blur.

His head jerked back up when he felt himself being shifted around and then he was falling, his bottom connecting roughly with the floor.

They were inside one of the classrooms, the red finally giving way for black, and Yugi genuinely welcomed the darkness with opened arms.

The boy stared down at him, the upper half of his face shrouded in the shadows of the room. Illuminated by the moonbeam rays, his skin appeared ashen like, unnaturally pale but nearly grey with the layers of dust and ash on it. And his eyes…

Yugi crawled backwards when he realized that those brown orbs were, in fact, visible despite the darkness. They seemed to glow with a light of their own, peering down at him with clear disdain, and making Yugi want to shrink into himself.

He blinked slowly, once, and the boy was gone.

His eyes shifted all over the place, trying in vain to find a trace of human presence inside the room. But there was none.

Shivers wracked his spine, taking over his entire body. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to cease the violent trembling, but the sounds from outside made it rather impossible.

Yugi cupped his ears with his hands, shutting everything out except his breathing. He focused on that, fighting to fend off the hyperventilation.

He closed his eyes, mentally counting to ten and tuning it with his breaths. In, out. In, out. In, out. A huff of air was exhaled from his lips once he felt it beginning to work. He opened his eyes slowly, and promptly froze in place.

He didn't scream, nor did he scramble away. He just stared at the luminous pair of green eyes only inches away from his face. The lips of the person before him were pulled to one side into an ominous smirk, revealing a row of white, pointy teeth.

"What is a weak little human like yourself doing here?"

And _then_, Yugi screamed.

The man laughed; a distorted, maniacal sound that caused the hairs on the nape of Yugi's neck to stand on end.

Reacting instinctively, he threw out his legs, kicking the man with the soles of his feet square on the face. A startled shriek echoed throughout the room, but Yugi didn't wait long for him to recover. He bolted to his feet, pushing chairs and desks alike out of his way to get quicker to the door.

A hand latched onto his ankle, tripping him and sending him face first into the ground.

A shout was torn from his throat when he was dragged across the floor and back towards the towering figure. Yugi kicked his trapped leg to shake off the iron like grip, but to no avail.

"A feisty one," the man declared merrily, his wide grin turning lopsided, wicked. "It's been a while since the last time I got to play with someone like you. I shall enjoy killing you."

Wide, terrified amethyst eyes watched the other pulling out a dagger from the inner pocket of his jacket, the silver blade glimmering in the moonlight. The Armageddon that had broken out was still raging outside, but now, even though the explosions and the general ruckus was still drumming a headache in Yugi's head, the boy couldn't find it in himself to flinch. No, as he lay there, staring up at those insane filled eyes, all he could thing of was his impending death.

"Any last words, little human?" the man whispered, leaning in so close to Yugi's face that his breathing ruffled the golden bangs over his forehead.

Yugi stiffened, feeling the pressure of the blade against his throat. It should have struck how absurd this whole situation was, or the fact that this man had called him human in a way that suggested more or less that he himself was something above that level. But, surprisingly, none of those notions entered his mind, if only briefly.

The situation, however, did remind him of a similar one, in which the school's bully had him pinned against a wall and threatening to beat him to a bloody pulp before Joey and Tristan had barreled right into him and saved his ass.

For as long as he could remember, it had always been like that. Him in a dire situation and in need of rescuing. Like some bloody damsel in distress.

He hated that. Always relying on his friends. He wanted them to know that they could rely on him too. That he wasn't useless.

The man blinked, the predatory glint in his eyes diminishing slightly the moment Yugi held onto the dagger, green orbs moving from the curled fingers around the blade to the face of the boy, seemingly disbelieving of the resistance he was seeing.

Yugi opened his mouth, but before he could demand for the man to get off him, a kick was delivered to his head, sending him flying backwards and away from Yugi. Pained howls reached his ears, and seconds later, he was pulled to his feet and steered to the back of the classroom.

"I thought I told you to take him to safety!" Ryou shouted from behind him, carefully guiding him into a crouching position behind a desk, before mimicking him.

"How the hell was I to know that he'd be found here?!" someone shouted back and over the rows of desks Yugi could discern a white mane darting from side to side. "These low lives are like fucking cockroaches! You kill one, and another takes its place!"

"Just get on with it, Bakura!" Ryou yelled over his shoulder, arms inspecting Yugi for any kind of wounds.

"Would you shut the fuck up?! I'm trying to concentrate here. My dolls aren't working on autopilot, you know! Someone has to give the orders!"

"Yugi," Ryou muttered softly, catching the teen's attention. "It's okay now, relax. Everything's under control."

Had he seen the blanched expression on Yugi's face, or was he anticipating another outburst like the previous one? As if in response to his own musings, Yugi's eyes traveled to the dried blood on Ryou's cheek, fighting the urge to recoil at the sight of it.

"Shh, I know." Ryou soothed, drawing calming circles on Yugi's back, "I had a similar reaction the first time too."

A gasp suddenly left the white haired boy's lips, eyes locking on the cut the blade had left on Yugi's throat. His hands rose to ghost over the gash, before lowering again uncertainly. "Does it hurt much?"

Yugi shook his head, gaze trained ahead. The white haired boy that Ryou had called Bakura was dancing wildly around, avoiding with perfect accuracy the blows his opponent was delivering. His brown eyes were alight again, a feral grin upon his face. He was enjoining this.

But the craziest of all, was the mannequin that was maneuvering right and left. Or at least, that's what Yugi hoped it was.

Ryou followed his line of sight and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Um, it's a kinda long story."

Yugi had no doubt it was.

"Bakura!" Ryou shouted exasperated. "Would you stop playing with him already?"

"Now, where the fun would be in that?" Bakura shot back, flashing a wide grin at his look-alike.

Ryou had the perfect retort ready, but a shout of his name had him glancing at his companion questioningly. The teen had a finger pointed to the front of the classroom, something that made Ryou furrow his eyebrows in confusion, before following the direction of the finger, his eyes widening.

Another man, this one much bulgier than the other, was crouched on all fours, watching them both with a hungry expression. His dagger was clasped between his teeth, the blade cutting his lips from time to time as he moved, but it didn't appear to bother him. Ryou joined Yugi against the wall, both of them gulping in unison as the man advanced.

"Um, Bakura?" Ryou called out, eyes darting momentarily to his look-alike but the other hadn't seemed to hear him.

Yugi grabbed his wrist suddenly, effectively making him jerk his eyes back just as the man got ready to pounce. "Bakura!" Ryou yelled, catching Yugi by the forearm and throwing them both to the side, barely avoiding the dagger from between the other's teeth.

"Fuck!" Bakura grumbled, letting the mannequin handle his opponent. He jumped on the desks, drawing out a dagger of his own and throwing it with swift movements at the huge man. It got the hand that the other had raised above his head, ready to strike down on the teens, forcing him to draw backwards, cradling his bleeding hand close to his chest.

The knife he had clutched in his mouth was dropped to the floor when he screamed, which Ryou was quick to take a hold of. He positioned himself in front of Yugi, taking a fighting stance just as Bakura joined him.

"Care to explain what the fuck was that? You didn't have trouble dealing with scum like this in the past." Bakura gritted out, pulling out another knife and getting ready for the next attack.

"What was I supposed to do? Yugi would have been left out in the open."

Bakura's eyes flashed viciously, and in the blink of an eye, he had Ryou in a chokehold. "Are you bloody kidding me!? You let yourself become a target for the sake of one filthy, little pipsqueak!?"

Ryou threw the other's hands off him, glaring heatedly. "We're not talking about this now, Bakura!"

Bakura seethed, growling under his breath before charging at the bulgy one, catching him by surprise and delivering a series of blows, punches and kicks that definitely resulted with a few broken ribs and bones, if that sickening, cracking sound was anything to go by.

"Ryou," Yugi started, unsure how to go about this.

"I need you to go, Yugi." Ryou said, exhaling deeply through the nose, his expression tight when he turned towards him. "I know you're confused right now, and I promise to explain everything once this is over. But for now, it'd probably be better if you got out. It's too dangerous."

You're standing in our way, was probably what he wanted to say, Yugi knew. It was true, though. The things that were taking place here were bizarre, to put it lightly.

Nodding mutely, Yugi rose slowly to his feet. Perhaps he really should get out. He was overwhelmed as it was. He made his way to the door, opening it after a moment's pause. An arm shot out the instant it opened, wrapping around his neck and drawing him against a hard chest. Another blade was pressed against his throat, for the second time, and effectively preventing him from producing any sound.

Yugi squirmed, the whole dagger thing beginning to get on his nerves.

"Going somewhere, weakling?" a deep voice drawled from over his shoulder, causing him to shiver in disgust. Eyes narrowing, Yugi deemed it worthwhile to obey his primal instincts. Quickly, he raised one leg before slamming it as hard as he could onto the foot closer to his own. The moment the man squealed at the unexpected shock of pain, Yugi spun around, kneeing him in the stomach with all the strength he could muster. The man doubled over, his breath leaving him, and Yugi stepped back, away from his reach.

Cold sweat was causing golden strands of hair to stick to his face, obscuring his vision slightly. Fear and adrenaline were racing through his veins, making his pulse beat alarmingly fast and his oxygen supply unsatisfactory.

"You little piece of shit!" the man growled lowly, slowly rising from his bent up position. His hard, resentful gaze nailed Yugi on the spot, pinning in place with the ferocity of it.

With a feral cry, the man charged forward.

Raising his arms in an attempt to shield himself, a startled cry was torn from Yugi's lips when he was pushed to the side, landing painfully on his side. Biting his lower lip to stifle a moan, he sat up shakily, eyes growing double in size. Ryou had engaged his attacker in battle, moving around him with fluid motions and effectively blocking his blows with his own dagger.

It was quite fierce, but pretty amazing at the same time.

Turning sharply on his heel, only barely avoiding a powerful punch, Ryou weaved around the man's outstretched arm and landed behind him. Not giving his opponent the chance to recover from the shock, he brought down his hand in a quick succession of movements, and hit the man behind both knees with the hilt of his weapon, sending him sprawling out on the floor.

The man cursed loudly, making to stand again, but Ryou was already one step ahead. Letting loose an aggravated shout, he used his feet to step on the man's ankles, twisting them to the side and emitting a sound that had Yugi cringing.

A gut-wrenching scream pierced through the air, the man thrashing wildly around on the floor, twitching and scratching at the bloodied tip of the bones that were sticking out of his flesh.

Ryou was by his side in a second's notice, hauling him up and steadying him when he swayed dangerously. "You alright?" the boy whispered, his breathing hard and fast as he gripped Yugi's forearms. "He didn't get you with his dagger, right?"

Frowning, Yugi took hold of the other teen's arms too. "I should be the one asking that. You're tired, I can tell. Did he manage to scrape you anywhere?"

For a moment, Ryou's grip went slack, his wide eyed look unsettling. Yugi's mental alarms instantly went off, concluding that Ryou wasn't unhurt after all, but before he could confront the other about the matter, his eyes landed somewhere in the back. It was an accident, really. He had only wanted to make sure that no more, whatever their pursuers were, had come through the door again.

So, when he caught sight of the man that Ryou had brought down lifting his arm, and the dagger flying in their direction, its sharp tip glinting as it cut through the air, Yugi's breath simply got lodged in his throat.

Taking notice of his suddenly stiff posture, Ryou started turning around too when Yugi flipped them over.

Gasping from the abrupt contact of his back with the ground, Ryou took a moment to realize what had just occurred. Once his mind finally provided him with an answer, Ryou was already sitting up, and then promptly freezing.

Standing only inches away, Yugi's legs were trembling from the force he was putting into remaining upright, his arms not faring any better. But what had Ryou bolting up, was the fine silver blade that was protruding from his stomach. Almost hesitantly, Ryou's gaze trailed upwards, visibly tensing at the image of those pained amethyst eyes.

"Yugi, you…" The rest of his sentence got caught in his throat, and yet, Yugi seemed perfectly capable of catching up.

The teen grinned shakily, a thin, red line making its way down from his parted lips. "I really hate bullies, after all. They always want to have the last say."

Shaking his head, Ryou closed the remaining distance between them, gently bringing his arms up to wrap around the shivering form of the boy. "You shouldn't have done that. Not for a person you met only today."

Yugi let his head fall on Ryou's shoulder, unable to return the embrace. His fingers had already gone cold. "It doesn't matter." he muttered to the fabric of the other's shirt. "I'm just glad I got to help at least one of my friends."

Ryou's arms tightened. "It's okay, Yugi. You'll be alright, I promise."

Yugi's eyes were beginning to water by now, small droplets materializing on Ryou's shirt when he blinked. "I always got into every kind of trouble because of my size and less masculine looks. Quite a favorite target of the bullies, actually. And every time, my friends had to come to my assistance. I never considered my self a coward, but strength isn't really on my side."

"Yugi," Ryou began.

"No," Yugi cut him off, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm sorry I won't get to see them again, but I don't regret what I did." The corners of his lips curled into a small smile. "I could finally protect someone too."

Ryou rubbed soothingly the boy's back, holding him close. "You'll see them again, Yugi. And you'll get to be of help to them too." Tensing when there was no answer in return, Ryou shook Yugi's shoulders. "Yugi?" he called out, grasping the boy's arms. "Yu-"

His breath hitched, wide, brown eyes staring from dazed, unfocused amethyst to the single, bright golden eye in the centre of Yugi's forehead.

"Bakura!" he yelled on the top of his lungs, head jerking up to catch his counterpart flashing him an annoyed look from being interrupted during his fight, before nearly identical brown eyes went wide too. As if urged by a chain reaction, all occupants in the room turned as one, each and every one of them bearing witnesses to this new turn of events.

It wasn't long before screeches replaced the silence, their opponents scurrying frantically all over the place. Blades were thrown carelessly to the ground, their owners nearly running into each other in their hurry to escape the room, some of them jumping right through the window, the glass leaving no traces on their skin as they landed with perfect precision on the ground below before scattering to all directions. More, similar figures followed their example, abandoning the building while they still could.

"Holy shit." muttered Bakura, his voice caring out in the nearly empty classroom. He made his way over to Ryou, watching with an awed expression as the Sennen Eye shone onto the human boy's forehead. Rapid movement captured his attention, and his eyes followed Ryou's hand, scowling when it reached behind the human to pull out a crimson stained dagger.

"He was hit?"

"By rescuing me, yes." Ryou replied, and Bakura's scowl slowly lessened when an all too familiar blue light was emitted from his partner's outstretched palm. Before their eyes, the bleeding wound slowly closed up, leaving only a slight bruise behind.

The golden eye grew in intensity, shining brighter even and illuminating every corner in the shadowed classroom, making it as if the night had ended.

"Bakura," The white haired boy turned, brown eyes colliding with a pair of violet ones.

"You felt it." It was a statement, neither a confirmation nor a question.

Spiky, platinum locks swayed as their owner nodded his head, eyes jerking over to the figure in Ryou's arms.

"Malik?" asked Bakura.

"Taking out the remaining trash. I've already informed him, he's on his way." Not once did his gaze stray away, hardening as they took into consideration the smaller boy's form. "There's nothing remarkable about him."

"Apparently there is." Ryou shot back, slowly lowering Yugi's unconscious form. "Guys," he whispered, a small ecstatic smile playing at his lips when he looked up, "We've found him, found them both."

All three of them looked down, having to shield their eyes when the Eye gave a particularly bright beam, before slowly fading away. The light diminished more and more and soon, the Sennen Eye vanished completely, leaving Yugi's forehead bare once again.

Simultaneously, the three boys' heads snapped to the side. To a spot a few feet away from Yugi, the moonlight illuminated the standing figure of another person.

Deep, bright crimson eyes stared back at them, scrutinizing each and every one of them fully, before they drifted lower. They finally rested on the unconscious figure, softening as they took in the sight.

And somewhere in the deep recesses of Yugi's mind, a second presence settled, biding its time and waiting for the young one's reunion with the world of the living.

_**TBC…**_

**Sorry for taking so long!**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

It was with a scream that Yugi's entire body arched off the bed, wild, amethyst orbs flickering about, frantic in their search. The sight that greeted him however, instead of having the opposite effects, only served to send the teen into a panic frenzy. Eyes widening upon recognizing his surroundings as the walls of his own bedroom, Yugi wrestled himself out of the covers and was quick to scramble off his bed.

Wary, guarded eyes took into every corner of the room, positive that everything he remembered wasn't just some horrific nightmare.

Then, how on earth had he come back to his house?

Slowly, fearful of his findings, his hand drifted down his body and came to rest on his abdomen. Running his finders up and down gently and discovering nothing out of place, he gripped the fabric of his white shirt and lifted it up a few inches, peeking hesitantly at the expanse of skin revealed.

He blinked, disbelieving at the bruise that had formed around his navel. The center was a light purple shade, but the edges had already started turning into a yellowish color, signaling that it was already well on its way to healing.

He lowered his shirt back down, a puzzled frown marring his features.

Surely, this wasn't normal for a stab wound? No scar, no clotted blood, nor pain?

Now more certain than ever that something was terribly wrong with the whole situation, Yugi began his search anew, head swiveling from side to side, never before having felt so intimidated in the confines of his own room.

"Where are you?" he whispered under his breath, somehow able to sense eyes on him.

It was a vague feeling, like he was being silently observed.

Shuddering, he squinted at a spot next to his closet, positive he had caught sight of the shadows shifting.

"I know you're here!" he shouted, aware that his voice was bordering on hysterical.

A yelp left his throat, surprised that he was actually getting a response when a figure emerged out of seemingly thin air.

By all standards, he should've been scared, but as it was, he had already witnessed far more than that.

The person was young, dressed in garments far richer than the leather scraps those creatures from before had been wearing. A white cotton kilt adorned his lower body, with a blue, golden rimmed sash running down the middle. His torso was clothed in a white tunic; a glaring contrast against the tanned complexion of his skin. A golden band was resting snug around his neck, and more similar bands encased his forearms and ankles. Sandals covered his feet, the same dark, royal blue color as the long cape that was draped over his shoulders.

To top it all, the moment he looked up, Yugi's own face was staring right back at him, causing the teen to stagger backwards, frame growing rigid once his back came in contact with the wall.

"I'm not going to harm you, little one." the other boy said, lifting one arm in a placating manner, and it was with great relief that Yugi noted the deep baritone voice that spilled past those dark lips, so unlike Yugi's softer tenor. His features too were somewhat sharper now that he took the time to study them closer, more angular, especially his eyes; a rich crimson, redder even than blood, if that was possible.

"I know," Yugi blurted after a while, and to his shock, he realized it to be true.

Surprise and apprehension had been invoked deep within him, but not once had he felt unsettled by his counterpart's presence or even threatened.

He didn't know how, or why, but he knew he wasn't in any danger before this being, non-human as it obviously was.

Which actually brought him to a dwelling question. It was established he wasn't like those things that had seemed intent to have his blood, so…

"What are you? You don't look like _them_. Are you similar to that guy that was with Ryou?"

The other shook his head, and Yugi was momentarily distracted by those extra golden locks that were mixed in with the otherwise black hair; they shot up in peculiar lighting bolt shapes.

He motioned mutely towards the bed, and Yugi took the hint and situated himself against the headboard, eyeing the other teen distrustfully when he asked for permission to join him.

He nodded after a while of contemplation, and his doppelganger sat at the foot of the bed, a safe distance away.

"You're half right," the boy began, and gestured at himself. "I can hazard a guess about the guy you mentioned, and in a way yes, I am like him but at the same time I'm not. In any case, I resemble him more than the creatures that inflicted that wound on you."

Yugi simply stared, unblinking.

"…Was that actually supposed to make any sense?"

He tipped his head, as though acknowledging Yugi's words, before falling into contemplative silence.

After seemingly reaching some sort of inner agreement, he turned back towards Yugi and at last said, "Allow me to start over. My name is Atem, class Pharaoh, and I'm your familiar."

"Excuse me?!" Yugi exclaimed, getting only the general gist of it, but he did have an inkling as to what familiar portrayed.

Atem gestured towards the window, or more accurately, the outside of it. "For many centuries, since the ancient times in fact, magical beings have existed in this world. Some of them are at large, merely roaming the earth with no specific purpose. Others, however, more powerful beings, can only be brought into existence through selected humans. The beings that those rare few humans summon are called familiars, each one with their own unique powers.

Now, the familiars are sorted into classes and ranks to make it easier to distinguish them from one another. I'm rank one, and my class is Pharaoh."

"Hold on, hold on!" Yugi yelled, shooting to his feet. "So, what you're saying is that creatures that control magic actually exist, and I actually summoned one?"

"Well, not magic exactly, just certain powers. The other part was correct, though."

Yugi stared at him incredulously before shaking his head. He made his way over to the door when a hand suddenly latched onto his wrist. He spun around, slapping away the other's limb, "Don't touch me!" he shouted, and Atem took a step back, an expression of genuine bewilderment marring his features.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business." Yugi grumbled, twisting towards the exit of the room once again only to have the door slam shut of its own.

Calming his racing heart, the surprise was quickly replaced by anger and he turned narrowed eyes in the direction of the only other occupant in his bedroom. "Open it." he demanded, pointing sharply at the door.

Atem folded his arms across his chest, an unimpressed look on his face.

Growling softly, he stalked over to the door, pulling at the handle with all the force he could muster only for it to not budge a single inch. He frowned, noticing for the first time the misty, black ring that was encasing the base of the handle. He peered suspiciously at Atem out of the corner of his eyes, who simply arched an eyebrow in return.

"What did you do?" Yugi asked warily.

The corners of Atem's mouth curled minutely as he raised his arm, and as though tied by invisible strings, every single shadow in the room came to life, stretching far out of their original location to slither towards him, approaching almost reverently. They licked at his feet, slowly enveloping his form as if he was a most precious thing.

Then, Atem lowered his arm back down and the shadows' movements came to an abrupt halt, stilling completely, before they finally started to shrink away, reclaiming their respective positions dejectedly.

"My personal power; shadows."

Yugi's knees buckled beneath him and he slid down against the door, the pupils of his eyes blown out of proportion.

Atem's brows slowly knitted together upon noticing the quivers that were shaking the teen's entire body.

The moment he made to advance, Yugi's eyes widened.

"No! Stay back!" the boy shouted, flattening himself against the wooden frame.

"Yugi," he started, but said person shook his head vehemently.

"I wanna talk to Ryou. He said…he said he was going to explain."

Atem's frown deepened. "But I already-"

"I need to hear it from a human, not a monster!"

Atem reared back violently. He looked down at himself, trying to discern any sort of wounds on his person before shifting his gaze to the human boy.

Strange…if he hadn't maimed him, then how could that have hurt?

He took in the way Yugi had laid his arms atop his drawn up knees and buried his face in them, like he wanted to hide himself from the world. Perhaps even from reality.

"I need to talk to him, but I don't have his number. I don't know where he lives, either."

The tremor in his voice didn't go unnoticed.

Atem's expression gradually softened. It was clear as day that the boy was frightened.

"Yugi," he called out quietly, and yet his look-alike flinched as though he had shouted. Stifling the urge to react in a similar manner, Atem went on, making sure to keep his tone as low as possible, "I can take you to where your friend is, if you wish."

He didn't know who Ryou was exactly, but he was fairly certain he was partnered to one of those two, which would make it all the more easier to find him.

Twin amethyst orbs hesitantly peeked above a pair of clothed arms and he nodded once in confirmation of his words.

"…How?"

He gave him a brief, reassuring smile. "Like this."

Atem glanced around the room, approaching the nearest barren wall and touching its surface with the pads of all five of his fingers. Instantly, black tendrils of shadow separated from the closest objects and shot up the length of the wall until they reached the spot he had marked. There they merged together, a tiny black dot that grew and grew as more shadows gathered inside.

It only ceased spreading once it had reached the size of a full circle; a black hole which opened up the moment Atem snapped his fingers together.

Black smoke wafted inwards, disappearing into the bottomless abyss just behind the shadowy ring. Electric currents, just as black and ominous as their fellows, kept sizzling all around the entrance, reaching outwards from time to time as though seeking for someone foolish enough to go near and taste their lethal bite.

Atem nodded, satisfied. He could already feel the presence of the other two on the other side.

He paused, however, once he noticed Yugi's blanched look.

"It's perfectly safe, little one." he hurried to reassure him, but the boy's eyes not once strayed from the portal, didn't even show any indication he had actually heard him.

"You know I would never hurt you."

That seemed to do the trick, because at that instant, Yugi hauled himself up, brows furrowing into a fierce scowl.

"No, I really don't. This could all be just a big ploy to get me to trust you and then finish the job your little friends started."

Atem's jaws clenched firmly together at the undisguised insult.

"Why?" he bit out, "Are you any closer to trusting me?"

Yugi snorted, eyes rolling upwards. "Please," he scoffed.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, do you?"

The boy actually faltered at that, eyeing the ominous darkness behind the outer black ring with unconcealed trepidation. "If this kills me…" he appeared to be considering his words for a moment, but in the end, he merely shrugged. "I'm sure I can find a way to get back at you."

Atem pinched the bridge of his nose. "Difficult little thing," he muttered under his breath, sighing.

Yugi flashed him an irritable look in passing, preparing himself for the worst the moment he stepped foot inside the entrance. Once his whole body was in, though, the misty black walls that had been surrounding him simply seemed to vanish and when he blinked, a lounge had already manifested before him.

Well, if he could even call it that.

He had appeared in a flat, apparently, a tiny room that contained a single couch, TV, coffee table, an armchair and that was pretty much it.

Just as he was about to inquire where exactly they were, a body slammed into him from the side, knocking the breath out of him, but the white strands that were tickling his nose were unmistakable and Yugi squeezed back, grateful to finally see a familiar face.

Ryou drew back, grasping Yugi by the forearms to keep him close. "Oh, Yugi! You have no idea how worried I was! The Pharaoh took you away right after he appeared and he even put your house under lock-down. Neither Bakura nor Marik could create a portal for us to get to you!"

"Ryou! Ryou, I'm fine." Yugi placed his own hands on the white haired boy's shoulders, applying just the slightest bit of pressure.

Ryou nodded tersely, withdrawing his arms completely.

"Look…" Yugi breathed out a sigh, carding a hand through his multiple locks of hair. "You promised to explain everything to me, so please, do explain what the heck is going on."

"Uh," Ryou rubbed at his neck. "Didn't the Pharaoh-?"

"Atem." The aforementioned Pharaoh interjected, walking over to the two. "My name is Atem and yes, I did explain the situation to him."

Ryou frowned, "Then why - ?"

"You stay away from him!" Yugi yelled, taking hold of a startled Ryou's arm and dragging him a couple of feet away from Atem. "And I thought I told you not to come near me! You're the worst!"

Ryou blinked, flabbergasted. "…That'd explain it…" he whispered to no one in particular.

Crimson eyes hardened. His patience was wearing seriously thin. "I'm the worst, you say? Then you clearly haven't had the pleasure of meeting these two."

"Who?" Yugi shot back, shoulders tensing.

"You know, it's usually considered rude not to welcome your guests." Atem crossed his arms. "It's not like you can hide. I could sense you from the other side of the portal."

Deep chuckles echoed around the room, making Yugi glance around in puzzlement and Ryou to run a hand down his face.

He could already foresee the disaster that was going to unfold.

And Malik wasn't even here to help him.

…Good God.

"You maybe can," a disembodied voice floated from somewhere to their right, and another to their left piped up, "but your feisty, little human can't."

Yugi frowned deeply as he kept failing to locate the source of the voices. There was a tap on his shoulder and he turned reflexively, expecting to see Ryou, only to freeze when a head invaded his personal space. And he meant that quite literally. There was no body attached to it.

Its lips twisted gruesomely to one side before they finally parted, _"Boo!"_

Yugi shrieked, diving all the way behind Ryou to the point that not even the crimson tips of his hair peeked out while booming laughter erupted around the flat, bouncing off the walls and seemingly multiplying in intensity.

"Bakura! Marik!" Ryou shouted, exasperated at their theatrics.

A body materialized to accompany the head of platinum spikes that was rolling on the floor in fits of laughter.

"A stroke of genius, that one." commented the second voice and soon, another person manifested on the armchair nearby, snow white locks bouncing along their owner's chuckles.

"Real smooth, 'Kura." Ryou scoffed, reaching behind him to run a soothing hand up and down a shaking Yugi's back.

"Awww~ don't be a spoilsport." Marik chuckled, sitting up properly and wiping a few stray, mirthful tears.

"And besides," Bakura chided in once he noticed the venomous look his look-alike was sporting. "It's not our fault he scares so easily."

"In case you two hadn't noticed," Ryou spat out, "he was introduced to our world only a day ago, and not in the best of ways either. If I hadn't been there to heal his wound, he'd have likely bled to death, and we'd have wasted two millennia waiting for the Pharaoh only for him to never be summoned because the chosen human didn't make it!"

Both Bakura and Marik sobered up, the latter's brows drawn into a scathing scowl. "…Spoilsport." he muttered again for good measure and ignoring the glare Ryou directed his way, he lifted himself from the floor and sprawled over the couch, long legs dangling off the edge.

Keys sounded on the front door, and Ryou exhaled heavily when it swung inwards to reveal Malik.

Thank goodness for small mercies.

The boy paused on the threshold, blinking at the gathered group for a moment. Assessing violet eyes lost part of their tension as they landed on the two newcomers. "Oh, good. I see you aren't grounded anymore." he said, tossing a half grin towards Yugi's way while kicking the door closed.

"Malik!" Ryou exclaimed cheerfully, _gratefully_, and stormed over to his friend, taking the grocery bags out of an amused Malik's hands and promptly shoving them into Bakura's chest, earning a protesting 'oof' in return.

"Put them away, will you?" he asked sweetly, causing his counterpart to blink owlishly back.

Not waiting for a response, he grabbed Yugi and Malik's arms and went down the narrow hallway that led to the bedroom. "And play nice!" he yelled in warning over his shoulder, reaching the door across the small hallway and pushing the other two boys inside. He halted before entering himself, "And Phar- uh, I mean Atem, make yourself at home."

He shut the door behind him, cutting off Marik's dark response of, "Control freak," before it fully reached him.

"Ryou, what the hell?" Malik snapped, marching over to one of the single sized beds and flopping down on it.

Ryou guided Yugi towards the only other bed and took a seat as well, "We've got to talk."

"Yeah, so I gathered." Malik tossed flippantly back, propping himself up on his elbows on the mattress. "What for?"

Ryou jerked his head in the direction of a brooding Yugi.

"Hmm?" Malik followed his gaze, shrugging carelessly. "Yeah, so? Didn't his partner already explain?"

"Hey!" Yugi's eyes narrowed, "That _thing _out there isn't my partner!"

"Aah," Malik chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "The rebellious stage. Don't worry, it'll pass soon."

"Pass?" Yugi muttered incredulously, and Ryou buried his face in his palms.

"What's wrong with you people?!" the tri-colored haired teen shouted, staring at them as though they had grown another head or something. "You accept them like it's normal. That… that _Pharaoh_ or whatever, commanded the shadows like they were his hounds and they jumped to obey, like, literally."

"Oh?" Malik sat up, suddenly interested, "Is that what his power is? Pretty cool, huh? It'll certainly boost the team's performance." he added as an afterthought, addressing the last part to Ryou.

"Can't you see they're monsters?!"

"Don't," Malik warned, violet eyes flashing dangerously, "you dare call my familiar like that, you understand?"

Yugi pursed his lips, head shaking from side to side. "You're crazy,"

"Cut it out, both of you!" Ryou shouted, causing Yugi, who was sitting only inches away, to jump in surprise. The white haired teen sighed, lifting a hand to massage his aching temples. "Yugi," he said after a while, voice weary, "I understand it must be difficult for you, at first it was for us too. But this…it's not something that can be reversed. Atem's been waiting for three thousand years for the specific human that'd summon him, and we've been looking for you for two millennia."

Yugi stiffened, looking uncertainly between them. "You…you said that before. Him, well I suppose I understand, given his nature and all, but you two…how?"

Malik lifted an eyebrow, "Didn't he mention the immortality?"

"The what?"

"Um, you see," Ryou trailed off, awkwardly, "it's kinda a one way deal. The humans born with the ability to summon a familiar are very few, some of them don't even achieve the summoning. Something must occur, a situation that'd have a great impact on the human, for them to actually reach the emotional state that allows their familiar to be brought into the world."

"And for me it was the whole incident yesterday." Yugi said, not needing confirmation.

Ryou nodded anyway. "Precisely."

"So, you two also…?"

Malik snorted derisively. "Please. I was dead for two whole minutes before that slacker showed up."

Yugi smiled despite himself, "I thought I wasn't supposed to call him names."

"Sure thing." Malik nodded assertively, the huge grin that was splitting his face destroying the uptight attitude he was going for, "But I never said anything about myself. It goes without saying that I can call him whatever I want."

"Well, I suppose I had it the easiest." Ryou said, laughing softly. "I was being robbed, and the guy was going to cut my throat, but he never made it that far. Bakura had him torn to shreds the moment he appeared."

Yugi cringed openly at that. "I still think they're dangerous."

"Of course they are!" Malik laughed like he had said something stupid. "They _have _to be dangerous. They're the elite, you know. They've got to be strong enough to be feared amongst the lower ranks."

Ryou coughed discreetly, rubbing his neck sheepishly when he attracted the attention of the other two. "Which brings us back to square one, actually. The thing is, Yugi, because summoning a familiar is really rare, as I said before, it cannot be undone unless one of the parties is killed."

"So…?" Yugi prompted, not realy catching what the other was getting at.

"So," Malik picked up, eyes alight, "if they're immortal and they're bound to a human, what do you think happens if the bond isn't possible to be severed?"

It was apparent from Yugi's features that comprehension was beginning to dawn on him.

"We…we become…?"

"Immortal?" Malik assisted helpfully, "Bingo!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

"It's not as bad as it sounds!" Ryou hurried to clarify, watching as Yugi grew more faint by the second. "It's pretty hard to swallow at first, but it gets better, I swear!" He peered at the other, worried when he failed to get any sort of reply. "Yugi?"

The teen stared unseeingly up ahead, face blank.

"Yugi?" Ryou repeated, gently shaking him by the shoulder.

"How? Exactly how's it going to get any better?"

The white haired boy swallowed thickly, glancing over at Malik. "Well, it does help when you've got company."

Yugi blinked, snapping out of his stupor. He looked at them both, smiling wryly. "You don't even like me and yet you're saying you want to spend eternity together?"

"Don't get me wrong." Malik scoffed. "I don't like humans in general because, compared to us, they're too easy to squash. You're one of us now, though. You didn't summon just any familiar, you know. The Pharaoh was the only one missing to assemble their entire rank. He belongs with his team, and you belong with ours."

Yugi grasped his head, already sensing the tell tale signs of a massive headache. "Look, I understood next to nothing from what you just said."

From inside his jacket, his cell went off, the loud ringtone Joey had set for when he called cutting through the silence and making Yugi groan at how the sheer volume of it pounded a fierce tempo inside his skull. He reached inside his pocket and fished it out, thankful he hadn't lost or bashed it during yesterday's struggle.

"Have you tweaked with my phone again, Joey?" he said first thing into the devise, mouth twitching, "I swear it's way louder than what I – "

He trailed off, eyes growing in size. "What? Arson, you sure? At our school?"

He fidgeted on the bed, swallowing the lump that had suddenly risen to his throat. "No, I didn't know."

A pause.

"Yeah, I woke up only a while ago so…Mm? Oh, sure. No, don't bother, I'm already out of the house."

A sigh.

"No, Joey, I'm fine. I was planning to go the grocery store but I'm not in a hurry."

A nod, followed by a small laugh. "Yeah, I'll meet you there."

He cut the line, re-pocketed his phone and stood stiffly from the bed.

"Yugi?" Ryou called out, rising to his feet as well.

"They wrote it off as arson, what happened yesterday."

"Well, what did you expect?" Malik stretched his arms high above his head. "Humans always try to find the most plausible explanation for anything unusual that happens. As if they'd ever accept the abnormal."

"You know what, you're right." Yugi slid a hand down his face, "And I suppose that goes to show I'm still human, after all, 'cause I certainly don't accept you."

He made to turn the handle and step out but his hand was snatched back before he could so much as touch it.

"What're you talking about?!" Malik spat, face contorted in a cross between anger and annoyance. "You can't just walk away. This is what you are now."

"Malik…" Ryou tugged at his friend's arm, but he didn't even budge.

"No!" Yugi yelled, tearing his hand away. "I don't want anything to do with your messed up world! You wanted the Pharaoh, right? Well, you can have him, he's all yours." And with that, the teen stormed out of the room, increasing his pace when the duo's arguing voices reached all the way out to the hallway.

"Hey, pipsqueak, what's going on in there?" the one that resembled Ryou questioned, Bakura he believed his name was, as he rose from the armchair and approached him.

Yugi shrank back, recalling all too clear the way the creature had treated him the night before.

Atem stepped in, placing a hand on Bakura's shoulder to halt his procession and ignoring the filthy look he was rewarded with, he turned inquiring eyes towards the little human.

"Is everything alright?"

Yugi held out a hand when the other made to reach hesitantly for him, and took a farther step back to widen the distance between them. "They're your team, right? Or at least something like that?" It was hesitant, the movement almost miniscule enough for him not to spot it, but he did and it was more than enough. "Good. Then you can stay with them."

Something akin to alarm flashed across the creature's features, but Yugi couldn't be entirely sure since it was wiped out the moment he blinked.

"You are my partner though, my aibou, isn't that how you call it in your language?"

Yugi's eyes went wide.

"I'm not!" he denied adamantly, pulse beating far too loud in his ears. "And I don't want to be!"

"Little one…" Atem whispered, and it might have been his imagination but for a moment his voice sounded imploring. His look-alike moved closer, Yugi's eyes involuntarily being drawn to those crimson pools, so similar to the substance that had been covering every inch of his school's hallways.

_Too much blood._

It didn't seem to want to leave him alone.

"Don't come near me!" Damn, he sounded too frantic even to his own ears. Yugi swept golden locks away from his face, breathing deeply through the nose.

"You've done enough damage already, so just…stay with your kind, and leave me alone."

He chanced a brief glance at the other's face and nearly flinched at the expression of absolute turmoil he was met with. Teeth digging into the flesh of his lower lip, Yugi spun on his heels and sprinted out of the flat.

Atem's hands balled into fists with enough strength to make the knuckles turn stark white.

Why had this happened?

"Atem?" a voice inquired softly, and in one swift movement, he had fastened his hands around a pale throat, bodily slamming the frail boy against the wall, eliciting a cry when his head collided forcefully with the hard surface.

"Ryou!" Malik yelled, but his voice was drawn out by a feral shout of, _"PHARAOH!"_

Atem ignored them all, quickly calling upon the shadows to shield himself against the impending attack of the thief's wrath. They rushed to him, his ever faithful servants, encasing him and his captive in a black cocoon, impenetrable to all outside forces if the outraged howl that reached his ears was any indication.

Now then…

He turned his attention back to the struggling human in his hands, seeing his every feature as though he were still out in the light of day.

"What did you do?" he whispered menacingly, and when the boy cringed back, he knew he had finally looked up into his burning eyes, more bright when inside the darkness, his natural domain, than the daylight.

And he knew for a fact that whatever emotions were swirling in there at the moment…let's just say they were bound to be rather ugly.

"Nothing," the boy whispered fervently, that one word only barely audible above the harsh pounding that reverberated around them.

"Don't lie to me!" he hissed, tightening his hold even as he leant closer to the human's face, "Whatever you told him drove him away. Do you have the slightest idea how long I've been waiting for that person? Do you?!"

"I know, I know!" Ryou assured him, golden-brown eyes shifting to the steel, black walls of their prison. "Bakura!" he yelled suddenly, and Atem bared his teeth in a snarl. "Bakura, stop! Stop!"

Almost instantly, all attacks came to a staggering halt, only the muffled sound of ragged breathing slithering through.

A weary sigh pressed past those pale lips, before eerily calm eyes refocused on his person.

"I only told him the truth, Atem. He deserved that much, don't you think?"

He growled, low and deeply.

The air around them crackled with power, reacting to his spike of temper.

"You might as well have destroyed everything." he spat venomously, releasing his grip on the boy and stepping away.

His mouth twisted into a sneer. "If I can't be by his side, then you won't either. Approach him ever again, human, and I _will_ hurt you. Let's see how the thief fares when inflicted with the pain you inflicted upon me; losing a partner."

Ryou's eyes dilated, raw fear reflecting back at him and Atem smirked, a dark and cruel smile that had goosebumps erupting on every inch of Ryou's skin.

He went over to the black walls his shadows had formed and slashed downwards on their surface.

With a sizzling crack, the portal opened up and he was gone.

The steel prison vanished; collapsed into shadowy tendrils that writhed on the floor before dissipating into smoke.

Arms were suddenly all around Ryou, and he tensed, for a moment more still trapped inside that dark cell. Cold hands cupped his face and he was pulled into murky depths, not rivers of blood for the eyes that were staring at him were malevolent, but they were dark brown instead of red and he could feel the tension slowly leaving his body.

He had had years of practice on how to handle this person's cruelty, not on himself; it was never directed at him.

Atem on the other hand…

The sheer intensity of his power had simply paralyzed him; a power he wouldn't hesitate to utilize to make good on his threats.

"I'm fine," he said, gently prying Bakura's hands away and squeezing them soothingly.

"That coward," Bakura hissed lowly, elegant features contorting in fury. "He ran away rather than face me."

"No!" he threw his arms around the other when he made to stand, and Ryou knew he had every intention of going after Atem. So he clung to him, held on for dear life because if he were to let go now, he truly didn't know if his familiar would come back to him.

"He's in pain, 'Kura." he muttered quietly, tightening his hold. "Being cast out by the one person that means the most to you…must hurt a great deal."

A whispery exhale of air ruffled his hair, and then strong arms finally returned the embrace.

"He'll come around," he said out loud, catching Malik's eyes from above Bakura's shoulders. "They both will." he insisted, only he didn't know whom he wanted to persuade more; his friends, or himself.

_**TBC…**_

Sorry for making you wait such a long time.

More explanations will be given in the next chapter.

Until then!


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